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Andeancistrus platycephalus (Boulenger, 1898)

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Relevant Information:

Description: Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal soft rays: 3. The presence of enlarged clusters of odontodes (keels) at posteromedial apex of most lateral body plates (vs. A. eschwartzae, absence of odontode clusters). Colouration: Andeancistrus platycephalus is distinguished from its only congener, A. eschwartzae, by having a light grey base colour of head and body (vs. black to dark grey), uniformly shaped round white to light blue spots smaller than half naris diameter evenly distributed across head, lateral and dorsal surfaces of body and fin rays (vs. irregularly shaped round to vermiculate yellow-gold spots). Entomology: Genus name: Andeancistrus, derived from 'Andean', a reference to the mountains from which this genus originates, and 'ancistrus', a root name for many Hypostominae genera that have clusters of enlarged evertible cheek odontodes. Specific name: platycephalus, flat (broad or wide) head.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

Chaetostomus platycephalus, Hemiancistrus platycephalus

Family:

Loricariidae

Distribution:

South America: Zamora River basin in the upper Marañon River drainage, Ecuador. Type locality: Río Bomboiza, upper Amazon River basin, eastern Ecuador.

Size:

14.5cm. TL. (5¾ins)

Temp:

20-25°c (67-77°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.5.

Reference:

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2021. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 10/2021 ).
Lujan, N.K., V. Meza-Vargas and R. Barriga-Salazar, 2015. Two new Chaetostoma group (Loricariidae: Hypostominae) sister genera from opposite sides of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, with description of one new species. Copeia 103(3):651-663.

Family: Loricariidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Andeancistrus platycephalus

Andeancistrus platycephalus
Dorsal view

Andeancistrus platycephalus
Ventral view

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